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to dish out

to dish out

28 3.4
To give out things to several people, often food or advice
  • phrasal verb
  • /dɪʃ aʊt/
  • Informal
translation icon : repartir
  • The teacher decided to dish out extra assignments after noticing the students weren’t paying attention.
  • dished out meals
  • dish out food
  • dish out advice

Yeah, well, if it was worth it, I'll bet it was worth it to dish out some love to the, you know, local haters.

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Examples

  • At the party, she always knows how to dish out compliments that make people feel special.

  • The kind of justice you dish out can darken your soul.

  • - I can take anything you dish out.

  • I can totally handle anything this baby can dish out.

  • If you can dish it out, I can take it!

  • She can dish it out, guys.

  • Just as Mama was dishing out the pizza, someone knocked on the door.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Today, MediaMind is dishing out the figures to show just how impactful it can be.

    Blog text (14)
  • Monday nights, the Salvation Army dished out chili at the shelter in the old armory.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • The chef is ready to dish out portions of the delicious stew to everyone at the table.

Synonyms

to hand out
vsto dish out
165 1.8

To give something to people in a group

focuses more on giving freely and in portions rather than formal distribution
to give out
vsto dish out
143 2.3

To hand things to several people

emphasizes informal or portioned giving, including remarks or criticism
to administer
vsto dish out
  • Formal
130 4.8

Give something like medicine or a test, often in a formal way

is more informal and often implies casual portioning or remarks
to distribute
vsto dish out
87 2.0

Give things to several people or places

is narrower and more informal, often about portions or comments
to pass out
vsto dish out
68 2.7

To give things to people in a group, like papers or drinks

is more about freely giving in portions, not just logistics of distribution
to dish
vsto dish out
38 2.5

To serve food to people

gives things freely and in portions, including comments or criticism
to serve up
vsto dish out
34 1.4

To give food or drink to people

is broader, covering informal giving of food or remarks in portions
to dole out
vsto dish out
34 4.0

To give small amounts of something to several people over time

is similar but often suggests more generosity and immediacy
to allot
vsto dish out
33 3.7

To give a part of something to someone for a specific use

is less formal and more about freely giving in portions
to dispense
vsto dish out
19 3.7

To give medicine or other things to people at a pharmacy

is less formal and often implies generous or casual portioning
to divvy up
vsto dish out
  • Informal
10 4.2

Share things or money between several people

focuses more on casual giving in portions rather than equal sharing
to mete out
vsto dish out
5 7.9

To give out punishment or justice to someone in a controlled way

is more casual and often involves generous or free portions rather than strict control
to deal out
vsto dish out
3 3.2

To give things to several people, often one by one, like cards

is more informal and can include giving comments or criticism
to parcel out
vsto dish out
3 4.8

To divide something into parts and give each part to different people

is more casual and often used for food or remarks rather than formal dividing
to portion out
vsto dish out
1 3.4

To divide something into parts and give each part to different people

is less about dividing fairly and more about informal portioned giving

Antonyms

210 5.1

Refuse to give something someone wants or needs

How Generous

to shower
45 3.5
to dish out
  • Informal
28 3.4
to give
1.0
to hand out
165 1.8

Surface Forms

dish out infinitive
dished out past
dished out past participle
dishing out present participle
dishes out third person singular

Morphology

dish + out

The meaning 'to give or distribute' is directly derivable from combining 'dish' (to serve or hand out portions) with the particle 'out' (indicating outward distribution). The extension to non-food items like criticism is a predictable metaphorical use of ‘serving out’ something, and the verb+particle composition is a common, transparent pattern that a B1 learner who knows both constituents can grasp.

Etymology

Dish out may come from serving food: imagine someone holding a dish and putting food out onto plates for each person. That's why it now means 'to give' things in parts, like meals, advice, or criticism.